The Boy and The Monarch

 

The fields were greener, the plants higher and the days warmer. School holidays had arrived for Leo. The youngster found many ways to keep busy. He loved the outdoors and all nature's living things.

Leo had a friend his own age who was ill. During a visit to his friend he told him about his discoveries in the countryside. Together they made plans for the future, when they would seek adventure like the great explorers had done on earth, and now in outer space and in the oceans.

On one of his wanderings, he spotted a beautiful Monarch butterfly. It sat on a narrow path in bright sunlight, opening and closing its wings as if it were fanning itself.

Luckily, the boy had his collecting box with him that day - an old empty cigar case from his grandfather with holes in the lid. He waited for the right moment, admiring the pretty designs on the butterfly's wings. When they were closed, he gently grasped the Monarch and placed him inside the box.

Leo held the cigar box up to his ear and heard the fluttering of wings. He planned to take his proud possession to show his sick friend, and hoping the holes in the box would give the Monarch enough air. The young boy arrived at the yellow-green wheat field and looked about to see if anyone was coming along the path. He knew of a shortcut this way, and hoped to arrive sooner at his friend's house.

Suddenly, a lark flew right up in front of him. The boy knew these creatures well and enjoyed watching them soar high into the sky while singing their beautiful song. He followed the bird with his eyes while it went spiraling upwards into the sky.

Leo chose a little spot in the field and spread himself out on the ground. Lying down in this position he could follow the spiral path of the lark until it became a small dot in the blue beyond.

How long he had been there, he did not remember, but he forgot all about the Monarch. His little cigar box lay beside him. Soon he fell asleep from all the warmth and fresh air.

All of a sudden he heard a voice. It came from the box! He looked and thought it had become bigger. Leo remembered the Monarch and was afraid. “Now the butterfly had become weak and was going to die,” he thought to himself.

But the voice went on talking. “Hey there, please open this box. Let me free. It is too far to go to your friend's house for I will not ever be able to fly again if you take me there. Let me out!

“If you set me free, I shall turn into a very large Monarch. I'll be so big that I could carry you on my back between my wings. Then we'll fly up into the sky together, far away from your home.

“We will fly to the land of the blue beyond while I will tell you many stories, and you will meet lots of my friends - but, only if you want to come along. Otherwise I'll go away to the flowers and grasses.”

Leo was excited by the idea of flying high in the sky with the friendly Monarch. Perhaps he would be home a bit later than usual, but imagine what he could tell his friend, and his parents.

He decided not to wait a moment longer. “All right, I shall set you free. But please take me with you, and tell me your stories.”

And, saying this, Leo opened the cigar box. The Monarch slowly fluttered out. The boy sat very still while watching him grow, and grow. and grow.

How beautiful he was. The wings looked as if they had been painted by a giant brush in colours of orange, ochre and brown. He didn't look at all fierce, despite his size. In fact, he looked rather wise.

The butterfly's antennae slowly moved back and forth, fanning Leo with a cool, refreshing breeze. “Climb onto my back, and be sure to hold onto my feelers, so my wings won't harm you when I fly,” said the Monarch. The boy did what he was told, and soon they were flying up into the sky. The fields and houses became smaller and smaller. The huge butterfly said, “I promised to tell you about the things we Monarchs know. First of all, after we are born, we live on the ground and crawl about, eating lots of green leaves and juicy petals. We wear a nice furry coat and people call us caterpillars. Then we eat lots of food in order to stay alive for later, when things are more difficult for us.

“You see, young fellow, there comes a time when we hang upside down for quite a long time. We make a finely woven protection coat and fall asleep inside it; your people call these cocoons.

“Some caterpillars eat too much food and others may not eat enough, making some too heavy and others too weak. We must know exactly how much food to take - not too little, not too much. I have seen many caterpillars still crawling on the ground long after I learnt to fly. But they didn't even notice me, they were too busy eating with their heads down.

“After we hang upside down in our cocoons for awhile, slowly we notice changes taking place in our bodies. They seem to shrink and then turn inside out.

“But since we are protected by our finely woven covering, we don't have to be afraid of falling down. When these changes began taking place in me , I realized I was imprisoned in my own weaving. I moved around and around, wanting very much to get out.

“It was a great struggle to free myself, but suddenly freedom came. How strange it felt. Everything was completely different. There were things attached to my sides which wanted to move about just as much as I did. These arms, which you people call wings, were sticky and wet, but after awhile they became drier.

“Then, I could fly! No need to crawl on the ground, or be afraid of something stepping on me. How I feel sorry for my caterpillar friends who do not realize that within them lies the possibility of being free, and roaming all over the world.

“Now, I can land on a flower and rest quietly on its pretty petals. When I was caterpillar, I was too heavy to do that.

“Also, I can see much further now, and sometimes I even let myself be lifted away by the wind.

“And if I feel like sitting on top of a tree, I can. Before, it would have taken ages to make such a journey. And all those legs I used to have!

“So many things kept me enslaved to the earth. Now I am free and can travel great distances, seeing and learning many things.”

Leo hung on very tightly while listening to the Monarch's story. They were very high up in the blue sky. All of a sudden, the boy spotted his friend the lark.

“Hello, lark!” shouted Leo. “How wonderful to see you here.” “Why, hello friend, and hello to you too, Monarch,” replied the lark. And, as quickly as she had appeared, the lark disappeared from sight. “Well, my friend”, said the Monarch, “where would you like to go now?”

Not hearing the question, Leo asked, “Tell me, Mr. Monarch. Why is it that you are called Butterfly and not Flutterby?”

But, while waiting for an answer, Leo noticed another lark. He waved happily with both arms just as the Monarch was making a turn.

Down, down, and down he fell. The boy became dizzier and dizzier as he spun towards the earth. Next thing he knew, he was lying on the ground. He opened his eyes, and noticed the cigar box still beside him. The young boy pinched his nose, trying to remember where he was.

He jumped up, quickly opened the box, and there was the Monarch, huddled in the corner. Our young friend was very happy to see the butterfly still alive.

He picked him up and gently placed him in the palm of his hand. The Monarch slowly began to move his wings, preparing for takeoff. Leo stretched out his hand into the air, and said, “Fly, Monarch, fly. And thank you for your story and the lesson.”

The Monarch flew upwards and swayed over the wheat fields in the late afternoon summer sky.

Our friend Leo quickly turned back to the road to visit his friend, happy the wise Monarch was free.

Copyright 1998 Henri van Bentum